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Of course, this has limitations. If you're thinking about buying a guitar that sounds really dull, you won't achieve great results by getting really bright pickups. You can't EQ in frequencies that never existed to begin with. My main point here is don't sweat the small stuff. You'll likely get relatively larger tonal improvements by properly setting up your guitar and using good pickups than by spending a fortune building a 100% custom guitar. And your guitar will only get you so far. Even a great guitar still sounds like crap going straight to the board. You need the compression, EQ, and distortion that only post-guitar processing/amplifiers can give you.
== My Advice on DIY vs. Pay a Pro ==
===DIY===
* Raise or Lower Bridge Posts
* Raise or Lower Bridge Saddles
* Adjust Truss Rod
* Tighten the Bear Claw Springs
* Change to Different String Gauges/Tuning
* Raise/Lower Pickups
* Move the bridge saddles towards/away from the nut - for intonation
===Call the Guy===
* Level and Crown the Frets
* File the Nut
* Anything I Don't Feel I Fully Understand
* Anything that Requires a Tool I Don't Have to be Done Correctly
===Special Considerations===
* If you have a floating bridge, changing string gauges or tunings can be a pain to do all the adjustments - if you are impatient, pay a pro
* Some bridges have a 3rd or more screws/posts connecting the bridge to the guitar body. Make sure you know how these operate before adjusting. Raising or lowering the main posts may put extreme tension on these, causing them to rip out of the body or break the bridge, etc.
* If you have a floating bridge, you may also have a double-locking metal nut, which cannot be filed down like a normal nut. You actually have to remove the nut and sand down the part of the neck it connects to. Definitely call the guy.
* If your instrument is old and valuable, you may want to leave it to the pros - Simply slipping with a screwdriver and scratching the guitar could be a costly error.
* If you live in the middle of nowhere, and there is no guy; you can look to ship it to notable luthiers or you will have to buy tools and do things yourself.